As special counsel Robert Mueller builds his case, relatives of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn are among those pressing the president to use his unique legal power and ‘put these defendants out of their misery.’

Laura Bush: US going through ‘xenophobic’ period

Xenophobia and isolationist sentiment is rising in the United States, former First Lady Laura Bush said on Tuesday.

“We go through there periods where we’re xenophobic and we’re just gonna stay home and we’re gonna be on our own and we’re doing fine and to hell with the rest of the world, and we might be going through a little bit of that right now,” Bush said, speaking on a panel at POLITICO’s Women Rule event on Tuesday.

“But it’s not a smart policy for the United States, and it certainly is not a policy of everyone in the United States,” she continued.

Bush, who wrote an introduction to the George W. Bush Institute’s book “We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope,” said she welcomes President Barack Obama’s choice to leave troops in Afghanistan.

Asked what she’s learned about what works and doesn’t, Bush emphasized the importance of maintaining a robust military presence.

“Keeping our troops there is important, and that costs money, that costs the United States taxpayer money,” Bush said. “I welcome President Obama’s choice to leave our troops there for longer.”

In October, Obama announced that he would keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of his term, reversing his previous position.

“What I see that works the best in Afghanistan are the kind of programs that Americanwomen started after Sept. 11,” Bush said, pointing to a rug weaving program. “They [Afghan women] then started earning money as weavers and then they got their husbands respect.”